MODE OF TRAPPING BEAVER. 245 



but fifteen thousand two hundred and forty-one ex- 

 ported hence. "^ During the same periods, large num- 

 bers of beaver skins were exported from Delaware, 

 Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and from New 

 England. In the early part of the last century the 

 trade ceased within these portions of the United States. 



Shortly before the year 1800, American enterprise 

 was directed to the fur trade on the Northwest Coast, 

 and the several organizations which sprang up were 

 finally merged in the American Fur Company, whose 

 field of operations was upon the head waters of the 

 Columbia, the Yellowstone, and the Missouri, and the 

 shores of Lake Superior. This company is still en- 

 gaged in the general business, but the amount of 

 beaver skins now obtained is comparatively small. 

 Formerly it was large, but the statistics of their trade 

 are not within my reach. 



The Hudson's Bay Company has been the most im- 

 portant and efficient organization in North America 

 for the capture of the fur-bearing animals. Possess- 

 ing exclusive jurisdiction over an immense area, of 

 little value for settlement, but of great value for the 

 production of fur, they have enjoyed a monopoly of 

 this trade for nearly two centuries. Their exporta- 

 tion of beaver skins alone has often exceeded a hun- 

 dred thousand per annum. In 1743, one hundred 

 and fifty thousand were received at Rochelle and 

 London, the greater portion of which was from the 

 Hudson's Bay territory and the Canadas. From the 

 recent catalogues of the sales of this company, it ap- 

 pears that they sold at their houses in Edinburgh and 



1 Colonial Hist. New York, iv. 789. 



